Veepstakes: Vital Statistics for Top 10 Frontrunners

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, has yet to announce the selection of his vice president candidate. Such an announcement is not expected before the Republican National Convention. Yet that doesn’t keep plenty of political observers from discussing and speculating who the eventual nominee will be. Washington Post’s The Fix and Google have recently teamed up to track news mentions, search trends and YouTube video views for 10 of the most frequently mentioned potential candidates in the Republican Veepstakes.

Here is some vital information to know about the most closely watched potential Republican Vice Presidential nominees:

Name: Sen. Rob Portman

Age: 56

State: Ohio

Current Position: Junior Senator, Ohio

Previous Position: Congressman, United States Trade Representative, Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Notable for: Rubio is a major, public figure for America’s Tea Party Movement. He is fervently conservative when it comes to social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

Quote: “Americans believe with all their heart, the vast majority of them, and the vast majority of Floridians, that the United States of America is simply the single greatest nation in all of human history.”

Notable for: Bobby Jindal was born in America, but his parents first moved to the United States, from Punjab, India, six months prior to his birth. Jindal studied at New College, Oxford as a Rhodes scholar.

Quote: “As we embrace the American dream and the freedoms it represents, we must also ensure that those who wish to enjoy those freedoms become a part of our society and learn to speak our language.”

Notable for: John Thune was considered a potential VP candidate for McCain in 2008. He was also rumored to be a presidential candidate for the 2012 election. Thune is a committed Evangelical Christian and a member of The Family, a secretive controversial tax-exempt, quasi-religious and international political influence group, also known as The Fellowship.

Quote: “I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.”

Previous Position: United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey

Notable for: Chris Christie was the first Republican to win a statewide election in New Jersey in twelve years. Christie is best known for his combative style as the Republican governor of the traditionally Democratic New Jersey.

Quote: “I’ve always said there is a boulevard that exists between compromising your principles and getting everything you want. Now, we should never compromise our principles. And I never have. Those are the things that people vote for you on, that’s the core of who you are. But there’s always a boulevard between that and getting everything you want.”

Previous Position: Attorney General of Virginia, Member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Former lieutenant colonel of the US army

Notable for: Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell endorsed Mitt Romney early on, before the race started to take shape. However, McDonnell’s decision to reinstate Confederate History Month without acknowledging slavery — an omission he later rectified — is being seen as a potentially career-threatening misstep, especially in regard to potential VP candidacy.

Quote: “The proclamation issued by this Office designating April as Confederate History Month contained a major omission. The failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed.”

Quote: “We have been part of the United States since 1898; natural-born citizens since 1917. Our men and women have served in greater numbers than most states since then. And I believe that it’s the right thing to do in the 21st century, to allow almost 4 million American citizens to express our will and then to work with the White House and hopefully President Romney to address this issue.”

The odds for several of these politicians are slimmer than others in terms of being named as a running mate. However, recalling the 2008 GOP convention, John McCain surprised Americans with his choice of Sarah Palin as his VP candidate. Given the outcome of 2008, we can guess Romney’s campaign will be ultra careful and strategic with their choice. As such, it’s anyone’s guess who Romney will ultimately choose.